After having a 14-7 half time lead, the Tigers allowed Wake Forest to score 21 unanswered points in the third quarter before getting things clicking on offense and defense. Deacons Michael Campanaro returned a 50-yard punt for a touchdown.
On the next Clemson possession, running back Andre Ellington fumbled the ball setting up a 19-yard touchdown run by Wake Forest’s Brandon Pendergrass giving the Deacs their first lead of the day at 21-14.
Quarterback Tajh Boyd was intercepted on the next possession and again it was Pendergrass with a 33-yard run stretching the Deacon’s lead to 28-14.
Boyd redeemed himself the next time the Tigers got the ball going 5-for-5, marching the Clemson offense 68-yards down the field on a drive that culminated with a seven-yard catch by Brandon Ford. The Tigers tied the game at 28-28 on Jaron Brown’s 10-yard touchdown catch with just over five minutes remaining in the game.
The Clemson defense seemingly struggled all day because of Wake Forest quarterback Tanner Price’s quick, accurate throws, but they dug down deep and forced Wake Forest into a quick three-and-out. But Clemson’s ensuing possession ended with a 30-yard field goal miss by Chandler Catanzaro.
The Deacons again took over and after a quick first down, they had the ball at their own 38 yard line. The Clemson defense again bowed up, forcing Price into two incomplete passes and a huge sack caused by seniors Rennie Moore and Brandon Thompson.
The Clemson offense took over with less than a minute remaining. Tajh Boyd was on top of his game hitting Dwayne Allen on two passes for 33 yards. He then found Adam Humphries- who was playing for an injured Sammy Watkins- for an eight-yard pass down the sideline which set up Catanzaro’s heroics.
Catanzaro got his redemption for missing the earlier field goal by drilling the 43-yarder just as time expired.
This was a game of redemption.
Redemption for the offense. Redemption for the defense. Redemption for Catanzaro. Redemption for a team that finished 6-7 a year ago.
“Redemption- that’s been the story of the season,” Boyd said in his postgame interviews. “Nobody expected anything from us coming into the season and we wanted to accomplish this as a team. I’m very proud of the way the guys responded in the face of adversity. We’re still not done yet. It would be a great season if it ended now, but it’s not over. Hopefully, these next two games, the ACC Championship Game, and a BCS bowl, that’s what we want to accomplish. We just have to keep working and take it from there.”
Post written by Clemson Girl Sports Blogger, Nikki Steele
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